Paint roller tray assembly



Nov. 19, 1963 A. H. coNNER PAINT ROLLER TRAY ASSEMBLY Filed June 15, 1962 United States Patent Office 3,1 101,921 Patented Nov. 1 9, 1963 3,110,921 PAINT RGLLER TRAY ASSEMBLY Adrian Herbert Conner, 13341 Cypress St., Garden Grove, Cahir. Filed dune 15, 1962, Ser. No. 202,76) 2 Claims. (Cl. ILS-257.06)

The present invention relates to paint roller trays generally and in particular to an assembly having a disposable roller tray.

An object of the present invention is to provide a tray assembly for use with a paint roller, the tray assembly having disposable means Kfor supporting the roller and also for containing a quantity of paint to be rolled onto a Wall surface.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and novel article of manufacture, the article including a base member for supporting a disposable paint roller tray.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a paint roller tray assembly which is economical to manufacture and assemble, one having a disposable tray which rnay be fabricated of lightweight and inexpensive material such as pulp or cardboard, and one which may be manufactured in quantity at reasonable cost.

These and `other objects and advantages of the present invention will be fully apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the annexed drawing, in which:

FIGURE l is an elevational view in section of the paint roller tray assembly of the present invention,

FIGURE 2 is an exploded view in perspective of the assembly shown in FIGURE l, and

`FlGURE 3 is a view on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

4Referring in detail to the drawing in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, the disposable paint roller tray as shown in FIGURE 2 comprises a base member having a bottom 12, side walls 14 and 16, and end walls 18 and 20.

The end wall terminates at a height less tha-n the height of the end wall 1S and an upwardly and outwardly sloping tray portion 22 extends from the upper end of the end wall 20. The upper surface of the tray portion 22 is provided with lridges '24 arranged in a crisscross pattern.

The end of the tray portion 22 remote from the end wall 2li is at a level above the upper end of the end wall 18.

The side walls 14 and 16 of the base member lil extendto the upper end of the tray portion 22 and are fonrned integrally with the tray portion 22.

Also formed integrally with the tray portion 22 is an upstanding inverted V-shaped lip 26 having a notch 28 centrally thereof.

Means is provided for supporting the tray assembly on a supporting surface yand this means comprises a rigid sheet 30 having an upwardly sloping portion 32 of a size to t beneath the tray portion 22. The sheet 30 also has a U-shaped portion 34 conforrnably shaped to fit beneath and support the base member 10. A lip 36 projects upwardly from the upper end of the sheet portion 32 and is also provided with a notch 38 which is in registry with the notch 28 of the tray lip 26.

Preferably, the sheet 30' is provided with rolled edges, as at 4t) in FlGURE 2 with a supporting wire 42 encased therein. The wire 42 is bent to form a iirst leg portion 44 and a second leg portion '46 depending from the upper end of the portion 32. The legs 44 and 46 may be ernployed to support the frame wire 42 on any level surface, and the horizontal part 43 of the wire 42 holds the frame level on either the wider top or narrower step of a step ladder, such as the top `45 shown in dotted lines in lFIG- URE 1.

Both sides of the tray portion 32 of the sheet 30` are provided with the wire y42 and adjacent the upper end n of the portion 32 are two U-shaped cup type receptacles 48 `depending from the portion 312 and riveted or otherwise secured thereto on `each side of the portion 32. Each receptacle y48 is of a size to receive therein a'molded cup 50, one of which is shown in FIGURE 2. Each cup 50 is adapted to hold therein the bristle portion of a paint brush with a handle in an upright condition.

An important feature resides in the provision of a wire bail or loop 52 depending from the upper end of the sheet portion 32. This :bail or loop 52 provides a means by which the hand 54 of the user may support the tray assembly with the loop 52 receiving therein the wrist of the hand S4, as shown in FIGURE l.

The sheet portion 34 is provided with inwardly turned tabs 56 which serve to prevent the sliding lmovement outwardly `of the base member 10 when inserted therein.

Similarly, each of the receptacles i8 are provided with tabs 58 which serve to prevent lateral movement of the cup Stilv when linserted therein.

It will be seen therefore that the assembly of the present invention provides a disposable tray in the base mernber 10 and attached tray portion 22. This may be fabricated from paper pulp on conventional molding machines with conventionally formed dies.

Preferably, the support sheet 30 is fabricated of rigid sheet metal and rigid wire and also fabricated on conventional machinery with suitable dies.

In use, each of the cups 50- may hold a paint brush in an erect condition and the base member 10` may contain a quantity of paint with a minimum area of the surface of the paint exposed to evaporation or coagulation. The tray portion 22 lends itself to rolling thereon of a roller when a quantity of paint has been put on the tray portion 22 for absorption or coating of the roller in the conventional fashion.

When the painting ope-ration is completed the tray portion 22 and attached base member 10 may be disposed of crumbling and throwing away or burning as desired.

While only a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described, other ernbodiments are contemplated and numerous changes and modifications may be made therein Without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended clairns.

What is claimed is:

l. A paint roller tray assembly comprising a preformed base member having a bottom, side and end walls rising from said bottom, one of said end walls terminating at a height less than the height of the other of said end walls, a preformed upwardly and outwardly sloping tray portion extending from the upper end of said one end wall, the end of said tray portion remote from said one end wall being above the upper end of said other end wall, inverted V-shaped lip extending along and formed integrally with said end of said tray portion, the side walls of said base member extending to said end of said tray portion, a rigid sheet having an upwardly sloping portion conformably shaped to fit beneath said tray portion and having a U-shaped portion conformably shaped to t beneath said base member, the portion of said sheet adjacent the upper end being upwardly turned and conformably shaped to receive thereover said V-shaped lip when said tray portion rests upon said sheet upwardly sloping portion, said sheet upwardly turned portion and said lip having notches being in registry when said tray portion rest upon said sheet upwardly sloping portion, said notches being adapted to receive therein the shank of a paint roller when resting upon said tray portion, and a pair of legs depending from the upper end of said sloping portion.

2. A paint roller tray assembly comprising a preformed base member having a bottom, side and end walls rising from said bottom, one of said end walls terminating at a height less than the height of the other or" said end walls, a preformed upwardly and outwardly sloping tray portion extending from the upper end of said one end Wall, the end of said tray portion remote from said one end wall being above the upper end of said other end Wall, an inverted V-shaped lip extending along and formed integral- 10 ly With said end of said tray portion, the side walls of said base member extending to said end of said tray portion, a rigid sheet having an upwardly sloping portiony conformably shaped to tit beneath said tray portion and having a U-shaped portion conformably shaped to tit beneath 15 said base member, the portion of said sheet adjacent the` upper end being upwardly turned and conformably shaped to receive thereover said V-shaped lip when said tray portion rests upon said sheet upwardly sloping portion, said sheet upwardiy turned portion and said lip having notches being in registry when said tray portion rest upon said sheet upwardly sloping portion, said notches being adapted to receive therein the shank of a paint roller when resting upon said tray portion, and a pair of legs depending from the upper end of said sloping portion, said pair of legs being formed to hooks adapted to releasaoly receive therein an edge portion of a horizontal support.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 482,082 Deming et al Sept. 6, 1892 2,661,858 Howell Dec. 8, 1953 2,669,736 Wabnitz Feb. 23, 1954 2,694,825 Touchett et al Nov. 23, 1954 2,808,960 Wilson Oct. 8, 1957 2,887,705 Serwer May 26, 1959 2,909,797 White Oct. 27, 1959 2,922,176 Bernhardt Jan. 26, 1960 2,972,765 Macy et al Feb. 28, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 805,475 Great Britain Dec. 10, 1958 

1. A PAINT ROLLER TRAY ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A PREFORMED BASE MEMBER HAVING A BOTTOM, SIDE AND END WALLS RISING FROM SAID BOTTOM, ONE OF SAID END WALLS TERMINATING AT A HEIGHT LESS THAN THE HEIGHT OF THE OTHER OF SAID END WALLS, A PREFORMED UPWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY SLOPING TRAY PORTION EXTENDING FROM THE UPPER END OF SAID ONE END WALL, THE END OF SAID TRAY PORTION REMOTE FROM SAID ONE END WALL BEING ABOVE THE UPPER END OF SAID OTHER END WALL, INVERTED V-SHAPED LIP EXTENDING ALONG AND FORMED INTEGRALLY WITH SAID END OF SAID TRAY PORTION, THE SIDE WALLS OF SAID BASE MEMBER EXTENDING TO SAID END OF SAID TRAY PORTION, A RIGID SHEET HAVING AN UPWARDLY SLOPING PORTION CONFORMABLY SHAPED TO FIT BENEATH SAID TRAY PORTION AND HAVING A U-SHAPED PORTION CONFORMABLY SHAPED TO FIT BENEATH SAID BASE MEMBER, THE PORTION OF SAID SHEET ADJACENT THE UPPER END BEING UPWARDLY TURNED AND CONFORMABLY SHAPED TO RECEIVE THEREOVER SAID V-SHAPED LIP WHEN SAID TRAY PORTION RESTS UPON SAID SHEET UPWARDLY SLOPING PORTION, SAID SHEET UPWARDLY TURNED PORTION AND SAID LIP HAVING NOTCHES BEING IN REGISTRY WHEN SAID TRAY PORTION REST UPON SAID SHEET UPWARDLY SLOPING PORTION, SAID NOTCHES BEING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THEREIN THE SHANK OF A PAINT ROLLER WHEN RESTING UPON SAID TRAY PORTION, AND A PAIR OF LEGS DEPENDING FROM THE UPPER END OF SAID SLOPING PORTION. 